Internal-combustion engine.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

H. H.- WHITEHEAD. INTERNAL COMBUSTION-ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 190B 91 9.103.

UNITED sra'rpsggnur ourroa.

HUGHH. WHITEHEAD, OF PALMETTO, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RlOHARDH. WHITEHEAD, OF PALMETTO, FLORIDA.

-INTERN-lLL-'GOMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed July 3, 1908 Serial No. 441,851.

form of connecting rod to actuate the'crank shaft. Q

. The invention further consists 1n. certain 7 novel arrangements ofdetailsand combi cylinders 13 are mountedon the so that when theindicated in Fig.

nationsof parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe-accompanying drawings, and specifically SGtfOI'th in'theclaims.

In. the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicatelikepartsin the several views, and Figure 1 isa sectional View ofan engineconstructed-in accordance with this invention, the arts beingshown as atthe beginning of tlifeiforward stroke. Fig. 2-is a similar viewshowingtheparts at the end of theforward vstroke. I

Thenumerall0 indicatesthe base of the engine and in suitable bearings'11 rformed on that base is a crank shaft 12. A. pair of base 10 withtheir axes angularly disposed to each other in such manner that theplane passing through the axes will also pass through the axis of thecrank shaft. These cylinders converge at the top and open into eachother as at 14 to form a common combustion chamber. A piston 15 is heldto reciprocate in each of the c linders 13 and this piston is soarranged t at the back end is adjacent, and inclined to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the piston as at 16. It is preferred that thisincline be sufficient 1, the u per edge of each of the pistons willbe'near yin contact with the back head of the cylinder in which itmoves, this back head being common to both cylinders, while the loweredge will be nearly in connect with the plane of intersection of the twocylinders. Each'of the pistons 15 is provided with a cross bar 17 at thefront end in which is formed a hemipistons are in the position sphericalrecess 18 arranged to receive the spherical head 19 offa piston rod 20.This spherical head is held within the recess by means of a plate 21securely bolted to the cross-bar 17 in the manner common to ball andsocket joints so that anniversal joint connection is provided betweenthe said rods 20 and the respective pistons.

The crank shaft 12 is provided as at .22.

with suitable cranks each having a spheroidal journal 23. The crank endsof the rod 20 are provided with spheroidal bearings arranged .to fit thes heroidal journals 23 of the cranks so that the angleof the journal.

axis and the axis of the rod may vary as the journal rotates from onepoint of its path to another. It .will be-observed from an inspection ofthe drawings that the engine s aft passes through the lower ends of thetwo cylinders with the crank located Within the said lower ends of'thecylinders and the lowerend of one of. the cylinders'13 is closed as at24to form an air tight crank casing into-which opens a supply pipe25provided with .asuitable valve and in communication wane source ofhydro-carbon. This valve is notdeemed necessary here to be shown asthesame forms no part of thepresent inven tion. Leading from the closedend 24- of the cylinder'13 to the combustion chamber 14 is a pi e 26forming the supply pipe for thecom ustion chamber 14.

At 27 is shown an exhaust from the 'combustion chamber and at 28 is aspark plug of any suitable or preferred form. Oil cups 29 and draincocks 36 are also provided for the purposes common to such articles.

T e entire cylinders are 'acketed as at 31 and 'the pipe 26 which. esta'lishes communication between the lower end of one cylinder and the upperend of the samecylinder, extends through this jacket for the twocylinders as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the pi e beingin this manner com letel inclosed. ll on'one end of the cranli 12 ismounte a fly-wheel 32 provided with a starting handle 33 normally heldretracted into the body of the flywheel as rin 34.

t be observed from an inspection of the position of the inlet andexhaust ports that the pistons themselves i in this engine. In order'tounderstand the she. t

32 by means of act :as the valves o eration of the engine let it ..besupposed t at the parts are in the position shown in let pipe F'g. 1 andthat a charge of the hydro-carhon'explosive mixture has been drawnintothe crank case 24. The handle 33 is drawn out and the engine cranked inthe usual manner. This causes the piston to descend and compresses themixture in the crank case 24. As soon as the upper end of the in- 26 ispassed by the upper end of the piston 15, the compressed gases rush outthrough that pipe forcing the burned or spent gases out through the port27. The next half revolution of the crank again causes the parts toassume the position shown in Fig. 1. This compresses the mixturecontained in the combustion chamber 14 and when the compression has beenfully accomplished the spark plug is actuated by any suitable means notdeemed necessary here to be shown, and the charge fired. The pistonsagain descend in the cylinders and the cycle of operation is repeated,it being obvious that after the first explosion no further cranking isnecessary.

The engine as thus constructed is seen to of simple form and one inwhich a much smaller amount of room is consumed than where the twocylinders are located in parallel relation. This construction will befound useful in motor cars, power boats and the like, where the room isgreatly constricted above the crank sha It is obvious that minor changesmay be made in the form and proportions of the device without departingfrom the material principles thereof. It is not therefore, desired toconfine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, butit is wished to include all such as properly come Within the scopethereof.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, is:

1. In an internal combustion engine a pair of diverging cylinders opento each other at one end, pistons in the cylinders, a crank shaft havingits axis in the plane of the axes of the cylinders, rods connecting thepistons and crank shaft, the said shaft extending through inlet openinginto the lower end of one cylinder, and a pipe establishingcommunication between the upper and lower ends of the said cylinder.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a pair of diverging cylinders opento each other at one end, pistons in the cylinders, a crank shaft havingits axis in the plane of the axes of the cylinders, and rods connectingthe pistons and crank shaft.

- 3. In an internal combustion engine, a pair of diverging cylinders,open to each other at one end, pistons in the cylinders, a crank shafthaving its axis in the plane of the axes of the cylinders, rodsconnecting the pistons and crank shaft, the said shaft extending throughthe lower ends of the cylinders, an inlet opening into the lower end ofone cylinder, and a pipe establishing communication between the upperand lower ends of the said cylinder, the said cylinder being jacketedand the said pipe extending through the jacket of the last mentionedcylinder.

4. -.In an internal combustion engine, a pair of diverging cylindersopen to each other at one end, a piston having its end inclined withrespect to its axis mounted to reciprocate in each of said cylinders, acrank shaft having its axis in the plane of the axes ofthe cylinders,and rods connecting the pistons and crank shaft.

In testimony that claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' HUGH H. WHITEHEAD. Witnesses:

A. M. LAMB, J. A. HONZE.

the lower ends of the cylinders, an

